Blind Love
by aznchika
Summary: Oneshot. Can you really love someone you can't see?  Quistis x Seifer


Author's Ramblings:

I usually give a brief update on myself or my fanfics here and I also thank my reviewers and readers. However, since I don't have much to update on, and given that this is a one-shot with no previous reviews, I'll thank those that reviewed my other one-shot, "Confessions of a Broken Heart".

Sorceress Selphie Kuoko – I'm sorry I won't be continuing CBH, but I'm really glad to hear that I managed to pull some heartstrings. It made me feel great when I read your review.

Firess Ifrit Devil – CBH is a one-shot, but I'm really glad to still hear from you. It's great to know that some of the same people still read your fics. Thanks again!

Nami 07 – Thank you thank you! Maybe my writing has improved slightly through age. Haha. I'm sorry for being evil, and to make it up to you, I'm not so evil in this one… I think. Also, I'm terribly sorry for making you wait so long for my continuations, again, I admit, I'm a slacker. I'm trying to continue CBD, although I'm finding it quite difficult when I really don't remember what I had planned for it to happen. I'll try though. I too, hope to finish it one day. Thank you for staying faithful thought

Dragon Princess Isis – It's great to hear from you again! I'm glad you loved CBH, hope you like this one too!

Dagger Trepe – Thanks for the review! I love stories that make me tingly inside too!

Quisty Almasy – I'm so happy to hear the WLUP is one of your favs! And I'm really happy to hear when my fics inspire others to write. It's such a wonderful feeling D One day, I may brush up WLUP, just to make it sound better. Again, I'm sorry for my sad endings, but I just find them a lot more fun to write (I know, I'm weird) and I like being able to pull at reader's heartstrings. You know that feeling of strong emotional pang in your heart when you read a really deep and sad story? Yup, that's the one I try to do.

Verdanii – Thanks for reading! Glad to hear from you still too!

rokukami – Thank you for the comment! I'm sorry Rinoa and Seifer are a bit OOC, I haven't touched FF8 for a very long time, and sadly, the characters are slowly fading away from my memory . I'll try harder next time! And hopefully this fic people aren't as OOC.

Valkyrie Wilde – Thanks for the review! I'm sorry CBH was depressing, I hope this one won't be so much.

And also, thank you to those who read but didn't review. It's okay that you don't, I love you all.

With that being said, onward with the story!

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"Hit him before he reaches the post!" Quistis screamed at the top of her lungs at the chaotic scene. There had been a recent outbreak of gaseous explosions and it wasn't until recently that the source of it was a small rebel group that had developed a poisonous explosion that would immediately kill those in the vicinity or poison those in the surrounding area. It had been 10 years since the Sorceress Wars ended, but even without that, there would never be peace. There would always be a small handful who desired nothing else but misery of others. Or there would be a small handful who believed they could rule the world. Or, in this case, there would always be a small handful who felt that any soldier or mercenary was evil and would send suicide bombers to get rid of them.

"Look out!" Someone shouted.

In a second, a bright flash blinded everyone and tremendous heat rushed past. The thundering boom was deafening to those in the area. Quistis luckily, was further from the scene, but even then, she felt that she would be deaf and blind. She closed her eyes tightly with strange sensations all over her body and a searing heat of pain burned in her eyes. And then, darkness.

"These two were found around the Trabia area. I heard it was a devastating sight. Many more have died. They think it's one of those suicide bombers trying to 'cleanse' the world. So sad. One's in critical condition in ward 1. This one is really fortunate. Some minor bruises and scratches all over her body, but… well, we'll find out soon if there are any other problems." A mature feminine voice explained. "When she wakes up, I'd like you to take care of her until she's recovered."

"Isn't she infected?" A thick, rough male voice asked.

"There seems to be little traces of the poison entering her system, but she'll be fine, although she'll have to stay quarantined with us until upper levels give us the 'okay' that she's free to go." The female voice replied.

In a moderate sized room, a woman lay on the bed with a mask over her nose and mouth. Her soft blond hair lay freely with her as two tubes came out on the vein of her arm. The machine beside her bed let out a soft hum and a steady beating line. The woman, who looked to be in her late 20s, seemed to sleep peacefully as two others entered the room.

One, a woman, who looked like she was in her early 40s, analyzed the readings on the monitor. She was a short brunette woman, but she looked knowledgeable and had a slight intimidating aura around her. The other person, a tall, muscular man, stood awkwardly at the door examining the woman on the bed. His dusty blonde hair was slicked back and he wore an unusual trench coat, despite the summer heat. He cocked his head to the side as if trying to recognize the woman that lay so silently on the bed.

"That's unusual." He finally said. "I don't recall us having to lock up patients ever before." He was perplexed as to why this woman had her arms chained down to the bed, wondering if perhaps, she was dangerous in some other way than being poisoned.

"It's a precaution. In case she wakes up when we're not around and…" the woman stopped when a slight grunt came out from the woman lying in the bed. "Go get the doctor. She's waking up." The man quickly exited the room and the woman went up towards the bed. "Hello?" She asked as she took off the breathing apparatus on her mouth.

The woman in the bed groaned again, this time letting a cough out as well. "Where… where am I?" She asked, pausing for a brief moment before speaking again. "Why I can't see?!" She seemed to receive a boost of energy at the realization. She tried to move her hands up to her eyes but struggled because she was bound to the bed. "What's going on? Why am I chained up? Where am I?" The words flowing out her mouth so quickly that it sounded like a jumbled mess of noise.

"Don't worry." The woman gently stroked her arm. "We locked you just as a precaution. I'll let you go if you promise not to touch your eyes. You have a blind fold on right now."

The woman in the bed relaxed ever so slightly. "Where am I? What happened?"

Just then the man returned to the room with another woman in tow. This lady looked to be in her early 30s and wore a white coat. "You are currently at St. Michelangelo's. My name is Dr. Safreah. What is your name?" The lady asked as she approached the bed. The man once again took his post at the door and watched the scene.

"I… I…" The woman in the bed seemed to relax a little more when the doctor pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down, holding onto her hand. "My name is Quistis Trepe."

The man's eyes widened in surprise but were not noticed by anyone in the room.

"Hi Quistis. Again, I'm Dr. Safreah. How old are you and where are you from?"

"I'm … 28 and from Balamb Garden." Quistis paused for a brief moment. "What happened? What is this place? Why am I here?"

"Quistis, what is the last thing you remember?" The doctor asked, ignoring her questions.

"I remember…" Quistis began, but paused for a while. "I remember… we were near Trabia. My team was there for a training exercise, but then a stranger came into our base. He… … " She took a moment to think. "I remember now. He was a suicide bomber. It was night and I was on south guard duty. He came through the northeastern side and went straight to our sleeping quarters. We tried to stop him, but the last thing I remember was a loud boom and a blinding light." Quistis took several deep breaths before speaking again. "What happened to the others?"

Dr Safreah let out a hesitant sigh before answering. "At the scene, there were only two survivors. You and another lady."

There was a long moment of awkward silence before Quistis spoke again. "Who is this other person and where is she?"

"We're not sure who she is at the moment. She's in a different ward."

"Ward? What do you mean?"

"St. Michelangelo's is a quarantine treatment base. We especially try to help those that have been infected with the poison. We are divided into wards based on severity level. Your colleague is currently in ward 1." Dr. Safreah replied.

"What does that mean?"

"Ward 1… is where we put the most severe patients. Your colleague is currently in critical condition."

Quistis took a moment to absorb the information. "Then where am I? Why am I blindfolded? And why am I chained down?"

"Quistis, you are in ward 10. You suffered minor bruises and scratches all over your body. There is a small trace of poison in your system, but you will recover from that. However, in the mean time, you'll have to stay under quarantine under it is completely out of your system. Aside from bumps and bruises, your eyes seem to have taken the most damage. Your eyes are very sensitive right now and shouldn't apply any pressure or feel light penetration. We were afraid that if you woke up when no one was around, you'd instinctively touch your eyes, so we had no choice but to lock you."

"How long will it take for my eyes to heal?"

"Well…" Dr. Safreah took another hesitant sigh. "That's the problem. We're not sure if they'll heal."

"What?" Her tone let out a cry of surprise.

"Quistis, if your eyes do not heal properly within a month, I'm afraid you may never see again."

"Is there anything I can do about it?" Quistis asked, sounding rather calm for a person in her situation.

"Other than not applying pressure and always wearing this blindfold, no. We can't do anything either except wait and see how your eyes heal." Dr. Safreah paused for a long moment, allowing Quistis to speak. When Quistis didn't, she continued. "In the mean time, I, my assistant Tanesha and an aide will help you with your day-to-day activities."

"Who will be the one to assist me the most?" Quistis asked.

"The assigned aide will be with you practically 24/7. He is a very kind, trusting and sweet man. You'll enjoy his company. Everyone in St. Michelangelo's does." Even though Quistis couldn't see, she could tell by the sound of Dr. Safreah's voice, that she smiled. "In fact, I'll let him introduce himself; he's just right over…" Dr. Safreah turned around but was surprised to see the man already gone. "Hmm, I suppose you'll have to meet him later. Tanesha will release you and bring you to a new room. You must be hungry now, Tanesha will bring you some food too."

"Thank you."

Quistis wandered around in her room, stumbling along many objects. She had told herself that she was going to be strong; regardless of what happens and that she would have to take care of herself. She didn't exactly like the idea of being 'babied' by someone, but at the moment, she knew she needed it. Still, she was determined to do as much as she can herself, and right now, she would start with familiarizing herself with her new room.

A knock on her door sounded as she stumbled on yet another object. This time, she thought, it must be a chair or stool of some kind. "Coming." She headed towards the door, firmly believing that she could reach there and open it herself. Unbeknownst to her, the door already flung open and the man stood in the doorway watching her in amusement as she slowly walked herself there. After a little while, Quistis had reached the area, but continued walking until she hit into the man. The side of her face smashed into the man's firm chest and she winced in pain as her nose bent awkwardly.

"Sorry, I found it funny watching you." The man said as he pushed her away from him.

"Thanks." She answered sarcastically but paused and faced his direction. "Do I know you?"

"Excuse me?" The man asked, stepping back. A worried look spread over his face.

"You sound familiar. My name is Quistis Trepe, and you are?" She held out her hand waiting for a handshake.

"I'm Seif…. Seith… Al…mas…ters." He dragged out each syllable as he tried to think hard of what to say.

"Seif?" Quistis repeated.

"NO." The man raised his voice slightly. "No, I'm… I'm Seith Almasters. A lot of people call me Seif by accident and it really bugs me. I don't know why. It's just weird." He rambled, hoping that she did not suspect anything.

She frowned for a moment before raising her arm a little higher so that he would notice. The man quickly took her hand in his and shook it wildly. When she pulled apart, she held her hands together. "You're hand is so rough… are you a mercenary or fighter by any chance?"

"I was… a long time ago." He mumbled. "Dr. Safreah thought it would be nice to take you out to the beach to get some fresh air. You wanna go?"

"A beach? I'd love that!" She held her hand out for him to take and lead her. The man pushed his arm at her hand so that she would grab on. She did so and a small smile crept on her face when she felt his bulging bicep. The man led her out of her room and down a long hallway until they reached a set of doors. He pushed them open and held them for Quistis to walk through. The moment they stepped out, a soft warm breeze blew past them. The ground they stepped on was extremely soft and Quistis felt like she was sinking. In the distance, the sound of water splashing could be heard. "This quarantine station is built on a beach?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?" Quistis found it odd that the man would conceal the location of the place. It almost felt like she was a prisoner.

"St. Michelangelo's is a quarantine station built especially for soldiers and mercenaries infected with the poison. If the location was known to others, St. Michelangelo's would be targeted for those stupid ass suicide bombers." The man stopped walking. "Let's sit here." The two sat down, Quistis hugging her knees. There was a moment of awkward silence before she spoke.

"Back where I'm from, Balamb Garden, I used to go to the beach nearby often. I loved watching the sunset. What time is it now?"

"The sun's setting now." The man replied.

"Really?" Quistis smiled, tilting her head back to feel the warm breeze on her neck. The sound of small waves rolling gave her calming feeling. "Can you describe what you see?"

The man gave a puzzled look, but decided to do what she asked. "There's a lot of water and sand."

Quistis laughed. "That's very descriptive Seith. Ever consider becoming a novelist?" She joked. "Can you tell me what colors you see? What's happening?"

"The sky is orange? The water is blue? The water is moving?" He seemed to be asking her if that was a good enough description.

She laughed again. "I never really took the time to notice details when I could see. But now that I can't, I wish I didn't take it for granted back them." She let go her knees and straightened them out. She placed her hands down and began playing with the sand. "I haven't gone to the beach for a long while till now. The last time I remember, the sky was a deep, deep orange. And the waves were violently smashing into the rocks. I remember the wind was so strong and so cold; the total opposite of right now. And then, I remember, it started raining like CRAZY. By the time I got back to the garden, I was drenched from head to toe. And then Zell saw me and he actually thought I took a shower with my clothes on."

The man snorted slightly. "Chickenwuss." He muttered to himself but then pretended to cough and laugh at the same time.

"Do the people in Balamb Garden know that I'm here?" Quistis wondered.

"No. This is a quarantine station, they don't know your location, but they do know that you are alive."

There was another moment of long awkward silence before either of them spoke again. The man was uncomfortable being around Quistis and wanted nothing more but for her to hurry up and heal so that she would be on her way and out of his life. He didn't have many friends, nor did he care to have them. The only "friends" that he had, were those who worked at St. Michelangelo's, and even then, he only knew about half of them. Those that knew him knew exactly who he was. They knew about his past, and they knew the kind of man that he used to be. Although they knew all this, they still accepted him, which was probably the only reason he chose to stay. He had been a wander before stumbling upon St. Michelangelo's. He never stayed in one place for long and he certainly didn't make friends. When he arrived at the station 5 years ago, he was lost, starving, and half dead from several weeks of wandering around open areas fighting off monsters. The people at St. Michelangelo's took him in and gave him a place to stay. He never once told them anything about himself, but they never asked either. They just welcomed him with open arms allowing him to come in and out of the station however he pleased. After a year of doing this, he finally told them his name. They didn't react with shock or disgust, but rather, told him that they already knew. He didn't understand why people would be nice to him; after all, he hadn't been a good person in the past. Still, they accepted him and slowly he began to feel a sense of belonging with these people and decided to stay and give back to them for the kindness.

"Why would you choose to stay at a quarantine station? Aren't you afraid of getting infected?" Quistis asked.

"I'm here to help people." He answered after thinking carefully of what to say. "I have to repent." He mumbled the last part to himself.

Quistis smiled. "Dr. Safreah's right. You are a kind man."

Two weeks had passed since Quistis awoke at St. Michelangelo's. She stood her tiny bathroom facing the mirror. Although her eyes were still healing and she was still blindfolded, she imagined what she looked like every morning. She reached out and touched the mirror with the tips of her fingers, pretending to draw an outline of her body. She imagined her golden locks bunched up and held tight with a clip in the back and two long tendrils dropped down along the shape of her face. She imagined wearing her typical peach battle suit with her whip hung on the belt to the side.

A knock on the door broke her concentration. "Come in." She replied as she slowly made her way out of the bathroom and onto her bed. She sat down on the bed cross legged facing the direction of the door.

"Tanesha's running a little late today, so breakfast won't be ready until a little longer." A male voice sounded.

"Seith," Quistis began. "Can you describe to me how you look?"

"What?"

"Well, I was curious. Could you please?" She begged as she patted the bed in a gesture for him to sit with her.

The man looked a little perplexed, but quickly regained himself. Instead of taking a seat with Quistis on the bed, he pulled the chair nearby and sat down by the bed. "I'm blonde. Six feet two. Green eyes?" He replied as if questioning her if that was enough information.

Quistis gave a slight laugh at his response and smiled at him. "May I?" She raised both her hands.

The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, but decided to take her hands and placed them on his face. Quistis began to softly touch his face. She moved around his cheeks and lightly brushed his lips with her fingertips. The man closed his eyes as Quistis reached around his eyes. "Your face is surprisingly smooth. And… oh. What's this?" She stopped when she felt a slight rough area starting from the bridge of his nose moving up towards his forehead.

The man suddenly grabbed her hands and pulled them away from his face. "It's a… a… birthmark. I'm a little sensitive about that." He paused momentarily as Quistis muttered out an apology. "Tanesha must be done by now. Let's go eat."

On the third week, the man suddenly burst into Quistis' room one evening. "Come quick." He said eagerly as she grabbed Quistis' hand and began dragging her out.

"Seith, where are you taking me?" She asked as she tried to keep up with him.

"You'll find out soon." He replied with a mischievous grin on his face. Even though Quistis could not see it, she could tell by the tone of his voice. She smiled as he continued to lead her out of the building, past the beach, and down through a field. After a short while, the man slowed down and told her to be quiet. He crouched down; pulling Quistis with him and slowing began creeping in the bushes. In the distance, Quistis could hear an animal cry and she began to wonder what was going on. "Over there," He moved Quistis' hand in the direction that he was looking. Quistis turned her head to listen carefully at what was going on. "there," he repeated excitedly. "Is a chocobo family. A dad, mom, and one kid. The egg is about to hatch I think."

Quistis smiled and turned to face him. Although the man was still watching the chocobos, Quistis couldn't stop thinking about the man that she was with. In the past three weeks, he'd been more than a helper to her. He was practically her life line. At first, she thought it was because of the loneliness at St. Michelangelo's that caused her to enjoy his presence so much, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was because she enjoyed him; the being with him. He had been so kind and patient with her. And everything about him seemed so wonderful to her. Although he had rarely talked about himself, she found it quite easy to connect with him, as if she had known him in another lifetime.

"The egg cracked!" He announced. Quistis smiled again, this time raising her hand to touch his face. He seemed to catch her movements and took her hand in his. "What is it?"

Quistis pulled her hand out of his and slowly reached out to his face. She tapped his face lightly a few times just to make sure she had grabbed the right part, she began moving hers closer towards him. "I want to kiss you." She whispered. As she edged closer and closer to him, she could feel his warm breath on her forehead. She slowly moved her head up and moved forward, only to brush her lips on his nose. She pulled back slightly and gave an embarrassed giggle before the man stopped her.

"Here, let me help you." The next thing Quistis felt was his soft lips on hers and his strong arms wrapped around her. She pursed her lips apart and could feel his warm tongue dancing with hers.

"What are the results Dr. Safreah?" Quistis asked as she sat on a chair in Dr. Safreah's office a week later. Safreah sat behind her desk with a few sheets of paper in her hand. Her desk was neatly lined and a small stack of papers sat in one corner. The doctor placed the papers down on her desk with a saddened look. "Quistis," she began slowly. "I'm afraid your eyes were unable to heal."

Quistis swallowed, knowing full well what that meant. "You mean…"

"Unless we can find a donor, I'm afraid you may never be able to see again." Dr. Safreah finished gravely.

"I understand." Quistis replied, holding onto a strong front. "Thank you for everything you have done for me doctor. Thank you, Tanesha, and Seith. You all have been too kind to me." Quistis smiled weakly.

"Quistis, we may not be able to help you here anymore, but I'm pretty sure Balamb has some talented doctors who will be able to help you find a donor."

"Thank you doctor." Quistis began to get up from her seat. "I'd like some fresh air right now."

Dr. Safreah nodded and pushed a button on the intercom box on her desk. A short moment later, the man entered the room and Safreah gestured for him to help Quistis out. He nodded and took her arm.

The two exited without a word. Although the man didn't hear the news himself, he already knew what it was by the look of Quistis' face. Although she tried to keep a smile on, he could tell that she was trying to be brave. He led her out of the building and down onto the beach where he first led her. He sat down beside her and watched the waves rolled. She hugged her knees as if it was a protective barrier. The two sat in silence with only the sound of the waves rolling between them. After a long moment, Quistis finally spoke.

"You know, I really wanted to see your face." She let out a deep sigh, kicking her legs out and plopping her back on the sand, stretching her arms above her head. "That's the only thing I'll regret not being able to see." She sighed again as the man plopped down beside her. "But it's okay." She reassured herself. "I'm lucky to have even met you." She turned her head to face him and smiled.

The man gave her a small peck on the lips and looked up into the sky. "The sun is setting." He finally said. "The sky is orange in many different shades. The waves are rolling out in uniform with its clear water sinking into the sand below our feet. In the distance, the water seems to be tinged with a hue of orange. It beautiful Quistis, I know you'd like it."

Quistis rolled over onto him and gave him a hug. "You are a sweet man."

A couple days after Quistis received news of her eyes unable to heal, Dr. Safreah approached her once again.

"Good news Quistis." She took Quistis' hand in hers. "We've found a donor for you."

Quistis stood in her room shocked. She couldn't believe it. They had found a donor already. A wide grin crept on her face. "Did you hear that Seith?" She turned to face the man at her side who was about to lead her out for a walk. "I'll be able to see again!" The excitement in her voice could not be mistaken.

"That's great news." He replied, smiling back at her.

"I'll be able to see you soon!" She reached up to touch his face. He grabbed her hand and helped her.

"The operation is scheduled for tomorrow." Dr. Safreah announced looking at Quistis and then at the man. "Is that okay?"

Quistis nodded her head ecstatically. "More than okay."

The next day as the man led her to the operation bed, Quistis clutched onto his hand tightly. "Promise me you'll be by my side the whole time."

"I promise." He squeezed her hand to reassure her.

"And promise me that you'll be the first person I see."

"Okay." The man led her to the bed where he and Tanesha helped her on. Tanesha brushed her skin with a sanitizing cloth and slipped a needle into her vein. In a few moments, Quistis could feel weariness rush past her. As she began to slip into a dreamless sleep, she heard voices in the distance.

"Are you sure about this?" A female voice asked.

"Yes. She won't want to see me. I can't stay here." A male voice replied as Quistis slipped into a brief oblivion.

As Quistis awoke, she could hear a faint beeping sound from a monitor and someone moving about in her room. "Seith?" She managed to squeak out, coughing slighting.

"Oh, you're awake." A female voice answered as she grabbed some water and helped Quistis up to drink it.

"Tanesha? Where's Seith?"

"He'll be coming soon; had some urgent business to attend to." She answered, pulling the blanket up to keep Quistis warm. "The operation went well." She smiled. "In about a week, you'll be able to see again."

"Urgent business? What urgent business?"

As Tanesha was about to reply, a knock sounded from the doorway. "Quistis?" Dr. Safreah stood in the doorway with the man beside her. "Oh good you're up." She smiled weakly as she and the man walked into the room. She pulled out a chair beside the bed and the man sat down.

"Hi Quistis." The man reached out his hand and touched her arm. His fingers slid down her arm till it could feel her hand. He held onto her hand and gave a slight squeeze. Dr. Safreah motioned Tanesha to leave the room and the two exited the room quietly, leaving the two some privacy. Tanesha stopped at the doorway and peered in. "I was with you the whole time, just like I promised." He smiled at her.

"I was so scared when you weren't here. I thought you left me." She replied squeezing his hand back. "I had a weird dream that I heard you saying that you were going to leave."

The man laughed. "Like you said, it was just a dream right?"

As Tanesha stood in the doorway watching the two, she took her hands and covered her mouth. Tears began to silently stream down her cheeks.

"Quistis! Welcome home!" A familiar voice shouted as she tossed confetti into the air.

"Selphie…" Quistis smiled weakly at her. The trip back home left her exhausted and tired.

"Let her rest Selphie. She seems exhausted." A man cut in as he wrapped his arms around Selphie.

"Thanks Irvine." Quistis replied weakly as she slipped into her dorm room. The last thing she heard from the two was Selphie whispering, "She looks a bit different."

As Quistis entered her room, she tossed a small baggage onto the floor and dropped onto her bed. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she remembered her last time at St. Michelangelo's. The day that the bandages were removed from her eyes, Seith was not there. And he certainly was not the first person she saw. Tanesha had told her that Seith had left earlier due to family emergency. Quistis stayed at St. Michelangelo's for a week, but still Seith did not return. In the end, not only was she unable to see him, but she was also unable to say goodbye to him. She didn't even leave him a note because Tanesha and Dr. Safreah must have drugged her before they sent her back to Balamb. A couple tears slipped down the side of her face as she wiped them away. She took a deep breath and headed to the washroom to wash her face.

As she splashed water on her face and looked up in the mirror. She reached out and touched her eyes in the mirror. Her once cerulean eyes were now a sparkling emerald green. She remembered asking Tanesha who the donor's family was so that she could properly thank them, but Tanesha told her that the family wanted to remain anonymous and was more than happy to know that they helped her. She sighed one last time.

A year had passed since Quistis returned to Balamb Garden. Her friends were supportive and wonderful to her, but still in the back of her mind, she continued to think about the man that helped her through the hardest time of her life. It had been so long, that she began to wonder if perhaps this man didn't really exist and it was really just her imagination all along.

"Quistis?" A voice called to her as she was picking up some textbooks left in the classroom.

Quistis turned to the doorway and saw her very pregnant friend. "Oh, Rinoa. What is it?"

"You have a guest." Rinoa announced as she moved aside for short brunette woman. The woman walked in and gave a warm smile to Quistis. Watching the woman walk in, Rinoa turned around and headed off.

"…. Tanesha?" Quistis asked, wondering if her memory was correct.

"You remembered me!" The woman exclaimed as she gave Quistis a friendly hug.

"Tanesha! Come sit. What brings you here?" Quistis motioned to her chair at the front of the room.

"I found the donor." She replied, looking straight into Quistis' eyes.

"Oh great! Where's the gravesite?" Quistis would finally be able to thank the person who gave her a second chance to see.

Tanesha paused for a long moment before speaking. "The donor… is not dead."

"What?" Quistis was confused.

"Here let me take you to him."

After taking two trains, renting a car, and driving for several hours, Tanesha finally stopped in remote area with only a few houses within miles of each other. The whole time that they traveled, Tanesha had made Quistis tell her about her life and what she had been doing this past year. Tanesha did not talk about herself, about St. Michelangelo's, and anyone in it, including Seith. Even though Quistis wondered where this woman was taking her, she didn't ask.

"Over there," She pointed towards some trees and a dog in the far distance. "is where you'll find him."

Quistis looked at the woman, wondering if she was going to take her there, but when Tanesha didn't move, Quistis began to lead herself there. It took a couple of minutes before she reached the area. The area was very peaceful. The grass growing green and a couple large trees clustered together casting a nice shade in the summer heat. A large golden brown dog ran around as if chasing something. Then, she heard a loud whistle. "Over here boy." A thick male voice shouted. The same voice she had heard a long time ago; the very voice she was looking for.

Quistis continued to head towards the trees. Once she reached the trees, she noticed a man sitting on a bench patting the dog's head. The man's blonde hair flowed freely in the wind as if it had been uncut for quite some time. As Quistis walked closer and closer, the dog gave out two loud barks, as if saying to the man that someone was approaching.

"Who's there?" The man called.

By now Quistis was standing in front of him with both her hands over her mouth and tears streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall. She watched as the man stood up and adjusted his sunglasses. He grabbed the cane beside him and repeated himself. "Who's there?" The dog barked again.

Quistis sniffed and gave a weak smile, tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "Hi." She managed to muster in a shaky voice. "My name is Queenie Triest, and you are?" She held out her hand, touching his cane, waiting for a handshake.

He stood there for a moment, wondering if he should engage with her. "Seifer Almasy." He finally replied, pulling his cane away from her, in a slight unfriendly move.

Even though he showed no interest in continuing a conversation with her, she reached in and grabbed his hand, shaking it for a moment before speaking. "You're hand," She paused, swallowing back her urge to sob, "is so rough…" She took a deep breath and sniffled, with tears beginning to blur her vision. "are you a mercenary or fighter by any chance?"

The man pulled his hand away from her roughly and stood there, digesting her words. They stood in silence for a brief moment with only the sounds of Quistis' soft sniffles.

"Quistis." He whispered.

At the sound of his voice speaking her name, she rushed in and wrapped her arms around him, her tears soaking his shirt. Seifer stood stunned, but quickly regained his composure and slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"Why did you do it? Why did you give me your eyes? Why did you leave me? Why couldn't you let me see you? " She asked as she hugged him tighter.

"Because…" Seifer whispered into her ears. "I fell in love with you."

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Author's Ramblings Continued:

Yay! Another fic done! Thank you for reading!


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